Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti

About us

GRAVIS is a leading NGO working in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Bundelkhand regions of India. Since being founded in 1983, we have come to occupy a strong recognition nationally and internationally for our dedicated work among impoverished rural communities.

The Gandhian philosophy of Sarvodaya—all rising, but the last person first—is the basis of GRAVIS's strategy and approach. We work for the collective rise of men, women, and children, regardless of the economic state, age, caste or religion. This philosophy is becoming increasingly pertinent as India's social incongruities widen the gap between rich and poor making the country’s shift into the modern age a bittersweet phenomenon.

To counter this, GRAVIS emphasizes the empowerment of rural communities and adheres to another Gandhian notion, Gram Swarajya, or village self-rule. We work towards the rehabilitation of the rural community, enabling villages to take ownership of their environment, institutions, and relations. We operate under the belief that self-reliance is necessary for survival. Thus, GRAVIS differs from other aid organizations as we seek to actively engage community members in our projects, rather than merely adding resources to a broken system. A range of community-based organizations (CBO) therefore form the core element of GRAVIS' work.

At GRAVIS, we believe that the means of rural development are just as important as the ends. Therefore, in all of our initiatives, we use methods that are fair and sustainable, preserving our commitment to Gandhian ethics.